Method of and apparatus for removing alpha covering from alpha core



-METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR REMOVING A COVERING FROM A CORE Oct. 10 133 L. 's. DEITZ, JR, ET AL Filed Dec. 10, 1930 fire/71W; 1.5: 56/ 72Patented Oct. 10, 1933 PATENT orFicE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR REMOVING A COVERING FROM A CORE Louis S. Deitz, Jr., Hinsdale, and RudolphSchmidt, Jr., Chicago,

Ill., assignors to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Application December 10, 1930 Serial No.501,307

' 17 Claims.

This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for removing acovering from a core, and more particularly to a method of and apparatusfor removing sheath from lead covered cable.

Objects of this invention are to provide a simple, efiicient, andpractical method of and apparatus for removing sheath from its core.

According to the objects of the present invention, the method ofremoving the sheath from a lead covered cable; for example, a telephonecable, consists in compressing the cable, slitting the sheath on onlyone side and at the point of greatest pressure, gradually deflecting theslit edges of the sheath to spread the sheath into a substantially fiatstrip and separate it from the core, and directing the sheath and corein opposite directions.

The apparatus for practicing the method includes a pair of power drivenrolls, which serve to compress the cable and advance it into engagementwith a stationary knife carried by a support having a V-shaped spreadingmember for gradually deflecting the slit edges of the sheath outwardlyfree of the core. The cutting edge of the knife lies at a point in theplane of the axes of the rolls, while the side walls of the knife mergeinto diverging walls forming the spreading member. A projecting memberoooperates with the spreading member for guiding the core and sheath inopposite directions.

The invention will be more fully understood from the followingdescription, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, whereinFig. 1 is a front elevational view of the apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 22 of Fig.1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 3--3 ofFig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional View taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 2, withparts removed to illustrate the spreading of the sheath from theslitting position, and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 66 of Fig. 4.

Referring now to the drawing wherein like reference numerals designatesimilar parts, a frame or housing 10 has spaced parallel shafts 11 and'12 journaled in the side walls thereof, and operatively connected toeach other by gears 13 and 14, mounted upon adjacent ends of the shaftsand in mesh so as to cause rotation of the shafts in opposite directionsand at the same speed when power is applied thereto. A power means (notshown) is operatively connected to the shaft 11 through a sprocket andchain connection 15.

Disposed within the housing 10 and mounted upon the shafts 11 and 12 arerollers 18 and 19 which are equal in diameter and have their peripheriesspaced a suitable distance apart depending upon thesize of the cablewhich is to be advanced'therebetween. The suitable spacing of therollers 18 and 19 to allow for the slitting of different sized cable maybe effected by any suitable adjusting, means (not shown).

Extending between the rollers 18 and 19 adjacent the'line of travel of acable 20 is a supporting member 21 having positioned at the transversecenter thereof a knife or slitting member 22, the edge of which beginsat a point in the plane of the axes of the rollers '18 and 19 andextends forwardly. The supporting member 21 has a transversely extendingintegral flange 23 through which screws 24, or the like, extend forrigidly securing the supporting member to the housing 10. The walls ofthe knife merge into diverging walls: 26 and 2'7 which form a V- shapedspreading member 28. At the outer end of the spreading member 28 arearcuate shaped diverting guides 29, the inner ends of which are rigidlymounted upon projecting fingers 30 of the support 21 and spacedsufliciently to allow core 31 of the cable 20 to pass th'erebetween asit is guided through a tapering grooved channel 32 formed betweenthediverging walls 26 and 2'7 and increasing in depth as it increases inwidth (Figs. 3, 4 and 6).

Positioned at the oppositeends of the rollers 18 and 19 and rigidlysecured to the housing 10, is a projecting member 35 having an inwardlyextending directing surface 36 which begins at a point in closeproximity'to the plane of the axes of the rollers, curves inwardly to apoint a short distance from the outer end of the support 21, and thencurves outwardly.

,the rollers sufficient to compress the cable.

During the operation of the apparatus, the rollers 18 and 19 are rotatedin opposite directions. The operator may then direct one end of thecable 20 into engagement with the rollers, which will immediately gripthe cable and advance it forwardly in the direction of the arrow. Thecable in passing between the rollers 18 and 19 will be compressedsufficiently to hold the sheath against depression when moved intoengagement with the knife 22, and at the point of greatest pressure thesheath is slit at one side by the knife as the cable is advanced. Thediverging walls of the knife 22 guide the :slit edges of the sheath 40into engagement with the spreading member 28 which bringsthexsheath intothe shape shown in Fig. 5. The projecting member 35 serves a doublepurpose inthat it cooperates with the spreading member .28 indeflectingthe slit edges of the sheath by gradually forcing the sheath outwardlyinto a substantially flat strip as the edges thereof are moved apart,and while flattening the sheath 40 the projecting member directs thecore 31 in a direction opposite that in which the sheath is forcedcduetothe diverting guides 29. As the core 31 is freed-from the sheath.40 it is forced 'and guided between the fingers 30 by the projectingmember 35 and as 'no means is provided for changing the direction oftravel thereof, such as thediverting guides 29 which are provided forthe sheath 40, the core continues its movement in one directionwhile thesheath is moved in the opposite direction.

Withthis apparatus, the cable 20 maybe fed to the rollers 18 and 19withoutflrst adjusting the vrollsand during the operation of theapparatus the cable is subjected to a pressure by At the point ofgreatest pressure and at the point where it is most assured that thesheath .40 is .heldagainstdepression, the sheath is slit and .the slit.edgesthereof are immediately deflected outwardly toform thesheath into asubstantially flat strip anddivertit in one direction while. the

core 31is diverted in the opposite direction.

.While theinvention has been described with reference to .a specificembodiment thereof, it .is understood that various modifications may bemade therein.withoutdeparting from the spirit and. scope of v thepresent invention.

Whatis claimed is: v1. A'method of removing sheath from a core,

which comprises compressing the coveredcore sufficient to distort thecovered core by subject- .ing.it to a-predetermined pressure, andslitting thesheathat the point of greatest pressure.

.,,2..A.method..of removing sheath from. a core,

which comprises compressing the coveredzcore sufficient to distort thecovered core by subject- .ingitto a predetermined pressure, slitting thecompresedsheathat the point of greatest pres- .sure, and deflecting theslit edges of the sheath.

.3. Amethod. of. removing sheath from a cable,

whichcomprises subjecting the sheathed cable .to .a pressuresuificientto Iflattenthe cable, and

slitting the sheath at the ,point .of greatest pressure.

4...In .an apparatusfor removing sheath from acore means for compressingthe sheathed core suflicient to distort .thesheathed core by subjectingit tovapredeterminedtransverse pressure, and meansfor slittinglthecompressed sheath at rfrom the core, means for directing the core in onedirection, and means for directing the sheath in the opposite direction.

"7. In'anapparatus for removing sheath from a core, means for advancingthe sheathed core,

and a-V.-shapedmember having a slitting edge at the'point of the V forslitting the sheath longitudinally, the transversely extending por.tions of the V-shaped member arranged to spread the slit sheath.

8. In an apparatus for removing sheath from a-core, means for advancinga sheathed core, and a V-shaped member for slitting the sheathlongitudinally and spreading the sheath while advanced.

'9. In an apparatus for removing 'shea'thfrom a core, means foradvancing the sheathed core, and a V-shaped member for slitting thesheath longitudinally and for spreading the sheath into asubstantial-flat strip while advanced.

10. A method ofremoving sheath from a core which consists in subjectingthe sheathed core to a pressure for substantiallyflattening it,-andslitting the sheath at one side of the flattened portion during theflattening thereof.

11. In-an apparatus for removing sheath from a core, means for slittingthe sheath upon one side, and means for deflecting the two slit edges ofthe sheath to separate the sheath fromthe core.

12. In an apparatus for removing sheath'from a core, means for slittingthe sheath upon one side, means for deflecting the slitedges of the wardsaid deflecting means for substantially flattening the sheath.

14. In an apparatus for removing sheath from acore, means for slittingthe sheath upon one side, means for deflecting the slit edges ofthesheath, means for directing the sheath toward said deflecting means forsubstantially flattening the sheath, said directing means also directingthe core in one direction, and-meansfor directing the substantiallyflattened sheath in the opposite direction.

15. In an apparatus for removing sheath from a'ccre, means for slittingthe sheath upon one side, transversely extending members for deflectingthe slit edges of the sheath, and a member having an inclined surfaceengaging *the sheath at the opposite side for substantially flatteningthe sheath and directing the core away from the sheath.

.16. In an. apparatus for removing sheathfrorn a core, means forslitting the sheath upon one ..side,.transversely extending members fordeflecting the slit edges of the sheath, a member'having an inclinedsurface engaging the sheath at the opposite side and'extending in onedirection for substantially flattening the sheath and directing the corein one direction, and deflecting members for directing the flattenedsheath in another direction, said deflecting members being spaced sothat the core may pass therebetween.

LOUIS S. DEITZ, JR.

RUDOLPH SCHMIDT, JR.

